Bradley Parker from Portavogie, County Down, Northern Ireland is a finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2021. The finals will be held on 31st January 2021 at 5pm. Listen live on BBC Radio Scotland. Find out more at bbc.co.uk/youngtrad
We asked Bradley the following questions:
How did you get involved in Scottish music?
I’ve been playing the Bagpipes since the age of 4. I performed in many piping competitions as a soloist and as part of band, where most of the repertoire consisted of traditional Scottish tunes!
Why did you enter BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award?
I love performing music and decided the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award would provide a great platform for me to both express and challenge myself.
What do you hope to gain from the experience?
I hope to showcase my own compositions and style as a performer, as well as being able to play with/listen to amazing musicians throughout the process!
Do you have any particular musical highlights?
Playing at Celtic Colours International Festival in 2019 is definitely a highlight for me. I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to perform here, as well as meeting & listening to many musicians that have inspired me. Playing at Glastonbury Music Festival is also a highlight!
What are your plans for the future?
I plan to release a lot of my own music, and perform as much as possible. I also plan to release music with a newly formed band ‘Harbour Road’, and tour with various projects. I’m lucky to do a lot of teaching at the moment, I plan to keep this going too!
Listen in to hear Bradley Parker at the Grand Finals on Sunday 31st January at 5pm. Read about the other finalists here.